Latvia did not participate in World War II, it was a stranger war, the President of the Republic of Egils Levves, after laying flowers at the fraternal cemetery in Riga. The words of the head of state are given on its official website.
Levves explained that citizens of Latvia fought for their goals as part of the Army, there were also many civilian casualties in the country. “I have to say that Latvia is one of the countries most affected during World War II, without participating in the war as a state,” he added.
In addition, the politician noted that the end of the Second World War did not bring Latvia of liberation, since “one occupying power was replaced by another.” “We were liberated in 1990 and 1991, 40 years after the liberation of the peoples of Western Europe, we have regained independence,” said Levves.
Latvia, along with Estonia and Lithuania, were included in the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union in 1939 on the secret protocol to the Molotov – Ribbentrop Covenant. In 1940, they were included in the USSR (in these countries this event is considered the beginning of the period of Soviet occupation), remaining there as the Union republics until 1991.